Four Months, 7 Deaths: The Story Of The Gruesome Murder Of Young Nigerians In The UK

The prospect of a better life and privilege seems to have become an anti-climax for young Nigerian males in the United Kingdom as the body bag count mounts.

While the murder of young Nigerians in the U.K. is nothing new, the past four months has become more frightening with seven killed since January 2018.

A rundown of the list shows that the following have been killed: Oluwadamilola Odeyingbo, 18; Taofeek Lamidi, 20; Harry Uzoka, 25; Rotimi Oshibanjo, 26; and Fola Odubiyi 18. Others killed are Niyi Shode 24; Isreal Ogunshola, 18; Kelvin Odunuyi, 19, and Abraham Badru, 26.

Oluwadamilola Odeyingbo

Oluwadamilola Odeyingbo was murdered in Chislehurst, Kent, after sustaining injuries in a fight which occurred at Empress Drive, on Tuesday, January 9, 2018.

The Police in the south-east of London, England have launched an investigation into the murder of a Nigerian teenager, but his killers are yet to be identified.

Police are looking to indulge in the assistance of the witnesses in a bid to uncover those responsible for the death of the teen who died at a hospital a day after the attack.

Taofeek Lamidi

A former Eastlea Community School pupil, Taofeek suffered fatal stab wounds in Memorial Avenue two days before his 21st birthday, in one of four fatal unrelated attacks across London over New Year’s Day.

Police pronounced him dead at the scene at 8.22pm despite paramedics’ efforts to resuscitate him.

A post-mortem exam found he died from a stab wound to the heart.

The Metropolitan Police’s Homicide and Major Crime Command is now investigating with no arrests made.

“Taofeek was repeatedly stabbed, and was found lying in the street suffering horrific injuries from which he did not recover,” said the Met’s DCI Cranwell.

“Violent incidents such as this have no place on London’s streets, and we are urgently following up a number of lines of enquiry to trace those involved and responsible.

“We know that the victim was with a number of people at the time of the attack, and I urgently need to trace this group of young men.

“Memorial Avenue is a busy residential area close to West Ham station. I know that there were people in the area who witnessed the incident, and I need them to come forward. Any information provided will be treated with the strictest confidence.”

Harry Uzoka

Harry was a 25-year-old London model who was fatally stabbed at Shepherd’s Bush on January 11, at about 4pm.

Uzoka was signed to Premier Model Management, which helped launch the careers of Naomi Campbell and Claudia Schiffer.

Scotland Yard has said it believes he was attacked outside Ollgar House, a block of flats in Ollgar Close, before staggering to the nearby street.

Officers and a London air ambulance crew attended the scene but he was pronounced dead shortly after 5pm.

Already, Merse Dikanda, 23, of no fixed abode, was to appear at Westminster magistrates court on Saturday accused of killing Harry Uzoka. He is also charged with possession of a bladed or pointed article.

George Koh, 24, and Jonathan Okigbo, 23, both from north London, have already appeared in court charged with his murder. Koh was also charged with possession of an offensive weapon.

Rotimi Oshibanjo

Rotimi was 26 when he was stabbed to death in Southall on 19 February, 2018.

Police were called to a report of a disturbance in Halliday Square, Southall, shortly before 3.30pm but was pronounced dead at the scene at 4.05pm.

A 39 year-old man was arrested at the scene.

On 20 February Mark Tyrone Thomas, 39, of Halliday Square, Southall, was charged with the murder.

Israel Ogunsola

Israel Ogunsola, 18, was killed in London on Wednesday, April 4 about ten days after the murder of late Abraham Badru, son of House of Representatives member, Hon. Dolapo Badru.

Ogunsola was found fatally wounded in Hackney at about 8pm and died at the scene half an hour later despite receiving first aid.

A report said two boys both aged 17 were arrested on suspicion of murdering the computer programming student.

One of his friends tweeted: ‘Another black brother gone because of this road life. When will people realise that the road and gang life only leads to either death or prison? RIP Israel.’

The victim’s father, Dele Ogunshola, according to the report demanded that the ‘bloodshed must stop’, saying that his son was just cycling to meet friends when he was stabbed.

Kelvin Odunuyi

Kelvin Odunuyi, 19, met his end at the Vue Cinema located in the area on Thursday, March 8, 2018 after he was shot in front of a cinema in the United Kingdom.

He is suspected to have been killed in an ongoing gang war.

The mother paid tribute to her 19-year-old child who visited Wood Green, an environment known for widespread violence.

Abraham Badru

Abraham Badru, a Masters graduate and footballer with Almondsbury was 26-year-old when he shot dead near his family home in Hackney.

Abraham was the son of Hon. Dolapo Badru, a member of the House of Representatives, representing Lagos Island.

He was shot on March 25 on Sunday night around 11 p.m., the Daily Mail reported.

His father, Hon. Badru, described his son as ‘quiet and hard-working’, even as others have paid tribute to Abraham as ‘beautiful’ and a ‘good lad’.

According to the Hackney Gazette, Abraham was “found fatally injured near his mother’s house in Ferncliff Road.”

A neighbour described the incident that led to Badru’s death, saying he heard “one shot and a cry of pain.”

Looking out from his balcony, he saw “a man slumped over on the ground at the back of a car.”

Scotland Yard, the U.K’s top police agency, appealed to the public to “come forward [with information] without further day,” according to Det. Ch. Insp. Larry Smith., and offered a 20, 000 pounds for any information leading to the arrest of Abraham’s killers.